It's the Old Army Game | 1926 | Silent comedy

Title: It's the Old Army Game | 1926 | Silent comedy Director: A. Edward Sutherland Studio: Famous Players–Lasky Corporation Starring: W. C. Fields, Louise Brooks, Blanche Ring, William Gaxton, Mary Foy Based on: The Comic Supplement by J. P. McEvoy Release Date: May 24, 1926 Runtime: 77 Format: Silent, black-and-white, 1.33:1, 35mm Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Comedy, Silent --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Night at the drugstore 00:15:30 Firehouse confusion 00:33:00 Porch insomnia and peddlers 00:50:00 Real estate scheme 01:07:00 Arrest and reversal --- Summary: W. C. Fields plays Elmer Prettywillie, a small-town druggist beset by demanding customers, late-night emergencies, and domestic chaos. A bogus real-estate boom sweeps through town, and Prettywillie finds himself unwittingly involved as tensions and misunderstandings mount. The film builds through episodic set pieces—midnight stamp requests, a chaotic visit from firefighters, and an ill-fated attempt at sleep on the back porch—before resolving with a twist of fortune that restores order and reputation. --- Background: Produced by Famous Players–Lasky and directed by A. Edward Sutherland, the film adapts material from J. P. McEvoy’s stage revue The Comic Supplement and anticipates routines Fields later revisited in the sound-era feature It’s a Gift . Principal photography took place at Paramount’s Astoria Studios in Queens with location work in Florida, including Ocala and Palm Beach, reflecting Paramount’s active East Coast production during the 1920s. --- Trivia: The “sleeping on the porch” and picnic sequences were later reworked by Fields in It’s a Gift, helping bridge his silent and sound screen personas. A location shoot mishap at Flushing Bay sent a car through a breakaway wall and down an embankment; no one was seriously injured. The project was first announced for W. C. Fields and Clara Bow before scheduling led to the casting of Louise Brooks. Portions of the Florida picnic were filmed at El Mirasol, the Palm Beach estate of financier Edward T. Stotesbury. Louise Brooks and director A. Edward Sutherland married shortly after the film’s completion. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: May 24, 1926 Original Studio / Distributor: Famous Players–Lasky / Paramount Pictures Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: ItsTheOldArmyGame WCFields LouiseBrooks SilentFilm PublicDomain ClassicCinema Paramount FamousPlayersLasky 1926 FilmHistory Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:It%27s_the_Old_Army_Game_(1926).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/It%27s_the_Old_Army_Game_%281926%29.webm